Life Goes On
by Blackmoondragon1415
Summary: "Life goes on, long after the thrill of living its gone." Future-centric. One-shot.


Hey. Thought I'd drop back into the waters of fanfiction for a while after working on a few of my original ideas. This I had on my PC for a while, and I thought the site needed a few more stories about this simply great[couldn't think of any other way to describe it] movie. Well, to sum it up, I don't own _We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story._ Any characters here that were not mentioned in the movie are mine. Thank you and goodnight.

* * *

Life Goes On

At first it seemed as though Rex was just engaging in one of his favorite hobbies, a quick game of golf before it got too dark to see the ball. He happened to pass by the tree from which he had met Buster, a baby bird that had been trying to run away to the circus. He looked up for a moment to see if he could get a glimpse of the blue birds that had once lived there before shaking his head. That had been years ago. The tree itself looked as though it were on its last legs, just blowing in the wind like a weatherworn memory.

He went on to the next hole, a quiet, long stretch of grass near the edge of the golf course. Rex was about to send the ball on a one way ticket to the other end of the inner green when he stopped and squinted into the darkness. Even in the greatly dimming light, his eyes had picked up the faintest hint of movement on the sidewalk over the fence.

Sighing lightly, Rex gave a small grin as he headed over to the fence, where the midnight black-haired teenage girl had her face pressed to the wire, watching him come over.

"Am I gonna find the NYPD out looking for you when I bring you home?"

"Naw, I was the only one home tonight. Grandma and Grandpa are out at a fancy party or something like that. Thought I'd drop by and see if you were here." She replied, a wide grin on her face. Rex effortlessly maneuvered his tail over the fence, and she latched on it like a squirrel to a tree as he moved her carefully over to his side.

"So, how'd your game go?" She asked, following him over to the green as though this were some odd routine that they followed daily.

"Same as always." He replied airy, letting the driver swing gracefully down, sending the ball and part of the divot about two-thirds of the way down the course.

"Good swing." The girl comment, awed as always by the reptile's skill at this game. "Gotta go get it in the hole though, or it won't count, right?"

"That's right." Rex responded, and the two were about to go down the course when a loud boom from overhead made them both look up.

The dark clouds that had accumulated over the course of the day finally broke out in a loud flash.

"Wanna go looking for the ball in the rain, or do you think we should leave?" The teenager asked, to which another boom from the sky halted any thoughts about attempting to recover the ball.

"Climb on, Jacqueline, and hold on tight." Rex instructed, helping the nimble teenager climb up to a comfortable spot on his back as the first few drops of rain came down. Rex made a run for the covered area of the golf cart garage, making it just before it really started to come down.

"Guess it'll be awhile before we can go, huh?" Jacqueline asked into the silence.

"'Fraid so. Unless you want to try to run home." Rex teased, to which the teenager gave a light squeal of mock fear.

"Go out in that? No way, Rex, that's crazy with a capital C."

Rex laughed for a second before letting her off his back, and the two settled down for what might be a long wait. There was a slight silence as they listened to the rain and thunder outside the garage. Rex flinched at the huge, explosion-like boom.

Jacqueline, finding this as a source of amusement, laughed softly before playfully elbowing the T-Rex with a quick-witted 'Didn't know that you were afraid of thunder.' Then she grew silent for a few minutes.

"Rex?"

"Yes?"

"What were my parents like?"

Rex paused for a moment. Part of him wished that she didn't ask this so much, considering that it dredged up a lot of bad memories along with the good.

So, he did his best to answer her question, all the while with a chorus of his own memories whirling around in his mind like leaves scattered on the breeze.

---------

_It had been around ten years since Louie and Cecilia had first met, even though to the dinosaurs it seemed like a year or two. And here their friends were, now getting married! Rex couldn't have been more awed by the complex and beautiful arrangements made for the couple, from the actually wedding to the reception. _

_He did manage to get in a few words to his friend at the reception. Hey, nobody had told him about the crowds that flocked around people who just got married._

"_Congratulations, Louie!" He exclaimed as he proffered a clawed hand in a friendly shake. _

"_Thanks Rex. I'm glad you guys could make it!" Louie replied as he clapped both hands on his own, giving him a good strong handshake before the two looked over and happened to catch Elsa, who had somehow gotten through a crowd of brides maids to give Cecilia her own best wishes. Woog was amazing a group of bystanders by devouring most of the food, and Dweeb was helping him with that plight. Both had already given their congrats to the happy couple. _

"_Wouldn't have missed this for the world!" Rex answered. It was true. Even if Screweyes himself had tried to stop him, he still would have gone. "So, how're the newlyweds?"_

"_We couldn't be happier." Louie said with a charming smile, his dark blue eyes overflowing with contentment and exhilaration. Rex couldn't help but smile himself; the moods at these things were really catching!_

_---------_

_About two years later, Louie and Cecilia had moved into a small apartment in New York, not that far away from the museum. Cecilia had taken a job as a museum guide, while Louie made money by getting a job at a local garage fixing cars. It might not have been the glamorous job, but it paid the bills and put food on the table, so he took it without complaint. _

_They did come to the museum when they had the time, and the dinosaurs didn't mind the sometimes long patches of time between visits._

_Then, one day, Louie came running into the museum with some very mind-blowing news._

"_Cecilia is pregnant!"_

_At first, the dinosaurs had no idea about babies, or how you got them, but they were given the less appealing parts of the process through a very embarrassed Louie and a few other sources. Despite the initial touchiness of the origins, they were overjoyed at the prospect of their friends having a baby. _

_They helped as best they could through the nine months of growth and development as Cecilia's middle grew bigger and bigger, along with the baby inside her. The dinosaurs were utterly amazed when Louie brought them pictures from when Cecilia had her ultrasounds._

"_It's pretty small." Dweeb remarked simply, while Woog nodded in agreement as he too remarked about the overall size._

"_That's the feet, right?" Woog asked, gesturing to the delicate looking appendages. Louie nodded, pride in his gaze._

"_You can just make out the head if you look right about here." Elsa cooed as she traced the outline of the fetus's forming skull. Rex watched these pictures with wonder. It was small, but it was a life. That in itself was a wondrous thing. He couldn't wait for the little one to be born._

_In the last few days of Cecilia's nine months, she was accompanying Rex and Louie out on the golf course. Well, Rex namely, Louie was more there to get himself and his wife out of the house and get some fresh air. _

_Cecilia happened to be sitting in the golf cart while Rex was trying to teach Louie how to drive the ball. His friend gave a frustrated grunt as the club slammed into the ground more than the ball. _

"_No, no, like this…"The reptile said exasperatedly as he demonstrated the swing again. Louie, determined to get it right, swung again, this time completely missing the ball __**and**__ the ground, flipping himself over with the force, and winding up sprawled on the ground._

_Cecilia laughed softly from her vigil in the cart, and Rex had to stifle a few chuckles himself as he watched the flustered young man get to his feet, completely unaware of the large grass stain going down the back of his otherwise completely white shirt. _

_Suddenly the comical moment was interrupted by a gasp from Cecilia._

"_Cecilia, what's the matter?" Louie asked, noting the pained look on his wife's face._

"_My water broke."_

_The reptile and human could never recall moving faster than they had to help Cecilia off the golf cart and into the back of the small little Volvo that the couple soon-to-be family owned._

_Cecilia let out a panting groan, startling the t-rex. He had never seen a human mother in labor, but his first impression was that it was painful process, and he had to admit it did scare him. _

_Louie caught his spooked friend's eye as he started the ignition. _

"_Rex, go get the others. We'll be at the Saint Joseph's Hospital." He managed to utter before another moan from Cecilia made him hit the gas and speed out of the parking lot, leaving a very shaken dino in his wake._

_Rex probably broke at least five different records on his dash back to the museum, but at the moment, he was too focused on the task at hand to really think about it._

_He burst through the museum's back doors, startling a few of the afternoon visitors, and instantly made for the dinosaurs' concealed apartments in the back._

_To his great luck, they all happened to be in the same area, Elsa painting, and Dweeb and Woog were hard at work with a journalism article that they would be handing into the NY Times that Friday. He skidded on the slick waxed floors as he came in, panting and looking for all the world like the Devil himself were after him._

"_Cecilia…having baby…right now….at Saint Joseph's Hospital…" He managed to choke out in between rushed gasps for air. _

_The room had instantly burst into a flurry of activity. The other three dinosaurs each pretty much dropped whatever they were doing and all rushed out with him._

_It took them about twenty minutes to track down the hospital, thanks to Elsa having the advantage of a higher vigil, and Woog happened to help them find it by accident when he found a supermarket that was right next door. They rushed up to the door, and gave Louie and Cecilia's name to a very flabbergasted nurse._

"_She'll be in the room with a large window. Her husband requested that room. You should be able to see it as soon as you go around to the back of the building."_

"_Thanks." Rex replied for the group as they rushed around to the window in question. Neither of the couple was there yet; Cecilia must still be in the delivery room, as he'd heard Louie call it._

"_What do we do now?" Woog thought aloud, worry evident in his usually upbeat voice. _

"_Wait for them to come in, I guess." Rex replied, settling down under the window for what was sure to be an agonizingly long wait. Elsa kept watch on the window sill, while the others were all listening for their friends to come in. _

_Rex was going over a few of the complications with birth that he had happened to hear, and right now he was praying that none of them would actually occur during this delivery. He must have dozed off sometime before they came, because the next thing he knew, it was sunset, and Dweeb was tapping him on the shoulder saying 'They're here! They're here!'_

_He instantly stood up to see if all had turned out well, and was met with a very relieving scene. Cecilia was sitting in the bed, garbed in hospital gown, and cradling a blue blanketed bundle that they were looking at with an air of pride. _

"_C'mon and meet Jacqueline, guys." Louie said, carefully cradling the bundle as he carried it over to the awestruck dinosaurs. Rex looked into the blanket and could swear he felt his heart melt. What looked up at him was a baby's face, cooing and smiling up at him. He lightly probed his claw, being careful not to poke the tender-looking skin. To his surprise, the beaming baby girl reached right up and grabbed his finger in her little hand._

"_Hi Jacqueline. The name's Rex." He said softly, giving the child his own little grin._

_--------_

_Cecilia had talked Louie into doing it, that's how he had made it sound. Either way, the two were going overseas to attend the wedding of one of Cecilia's cousins._

"_Don't tell her this, but I'm only going for the wine." Louie had joked with Rex, causing the two to go into an uproar of laughter, and Elsa, who happened to hear him, tried to cuff him lightly with her wing._

_A few weeks later, the two were ready to leave. Jacqueline was staying behind with the Nuthatches, since they had reasoned that the free-spirited child would be bored at the wedding. The dinosaurs and child had come to see them off at the airport._

"_Hey, Rex, take care of Jacqueline for us until we get back."Louie said, a hand on his daughter's head."You guys too." He added to the others, whom the child looked at with pure innocence and trust. They had become somewhat of an extended family to the girl over the years._

"_No problem, Louie." Rex promised, adding in a small salute for the extra effect. The little three-year-old hung by his feet, waving spiritedly to her mother and father. They each gave her one last hug and kiss before going into the airport to catch their plane._

_The dinosaurs and child waved after the two, unaware that this was the last time they would see the two._

_--------------_

"_Rex! REX! HEY WAKE UP!!"_

_The reptile shot up in bed as the furious pounding sounded on his door. From the voice he could tell that it was Dweeb, but what had worked up the Parasaurolophus was a complete mystery to him. Maybe they had run out of hotdogs?_

_Rex lurched over to the door and pulled it open, causing the greatly vexed dino to fall face-first onto the floor. _

"_Dweeb? What's going on? Is everyone alright?"_

"_It's Louie and Cecilia!" The smaller dino practically wailed, looking up at Rex with very shaken eyes. "Their plane crashed!"_

_Right then and there, Rex's world fell apart to that one word._

_Crashed._

_Dead._

_----------_

_As soon as Rex heard the news, he went over to the Nuthatch's building. He had to see if Jacqueline knew, and if she did, was she alright?_

_Using most of the back ways and alleys, he managed to get to the towering skyscraper, and apparently not a moment too soon._

_A small, black-haired blur darted out onto the sidewalk, sobs pouring from it like a waterfall. Thinking fast, Rex swiped up the crying toddler with his tail, trying to be as gentle as possible as he pulled her close to him, just to get a look at her. If she was crying, if she had heard, then it was all over. Then he would know that this wasn't just a sick joke._

_Jacqueline stared up at him, crystal blue eyes clouded over by tears. Her face portrayed a heartbroken, parent-less child in great need of a shoulder to cry on. Rex felt the world catch up to him in a sickening rush, starting with one simple fact._

_Her parents, his friends, were gone, never to return._

_And with that, the child completely broke down, sobbing uncontrollably into Rex's chest. He could feel his own heart breaking, and a tear slid from his eye, falling on the girl's sleeve, soundly drenching it._

_To his amazement, she stopped, and looked up at his face in surprise. She hadn't expected Rex, who was the one that always smiled, always upbeat no matter what the situation, to cry. He just never did._

_Rex knew, for her sake, he should stop crying, but the tears still fell regardless of what he did. His friends were gone, and nothing and no one could bring them back._

_Jacqueline, suddenly seeming to possess compassion long beyond her toddler years, reached up to his nose and gave him the best hug her little three-year-old arms could muster. _

_The tyrannosaurus rex remembered when Louie and Cecilia had rescued him and the other dinosaurs from Screweyes's circus. Louie had given him a hug like the one that Jacqueline was giving him now. Right there and then, he could swear that it was Louie there._

_He lightly hugged her back, careful not to hurt the seemingly delicate toddler, who resumed her squeeze. _

_It might have looked odd to any passerby, but the embrace was their first step towards healing. _

_-------------------------------------_

"….Rex? Hey, earth to Rex, come in, Rex. This is earth calling. You there?"

Rex snapped out of the trancelike state, coming back to the present just in time to see Jacqueline looking at him with a raised eye.

"Honestly, it'd take an explosion to get your attention sometimes. I was trying to say that the rain let up a bit. No thunder anymore." The 13-year-old gestured to the open arch, where now only light bouts of rain fell. Even though the weather had improved, Rex still took off the large golf jacket that he had been given as a gift from the club he played at (A/N: You know, those high collared pure white ones they usually wear on top of the polo. Just trying to elaborate here.). Jacqueline's eyes widened in surprise as he draped it over her shoulders, almost like an overcoat to her.

"That sweatshirt won't keep the water off." He explained with a shrug as she looked up at him with a questioning glint in her eye. She got back on his back again, and the two walked out into the rain. Rex used his well-worn back allies and roads, as the wind nipped lightly with the rain, carrying echoes of a time long gone.

He came quietly up in the alley next to the Nuthatch building, which looked warm and welcoming on such a dreary night. Turning around, Rex saw that Jacqueline was practically half-awake, barely comprehending the fact that they had stopped. Stifling a chuckle, Rex gently shook himself to jerk the sleepy girl back to her senses.

"Go on inside and get some rest, kid. You look like you're gonna fall asleep right there."

She slowly slid off his back, went to go inside, stopped, and came running back to hand him his jacket.

"Wouldn't want to deny the kids their favorite t-rex by making him catch something, would I?" Jacqueline said with a giggle before reaching up to give the reptile a hug on his nose, just like she had all those years before. It was still a common gesture for them, although they both knew where exactly it had come from. The first day Jacqueline had asked to hear, Rex told her the story about how he and the other dinosaurs had met her parents. Apparently he had a real knack for telling stories.

"Goodnight, Jacqueline." Rex called after her as she headed in through the doors, then, once he was sure she was inside, went in the direction of the museum.

* * *

Tried to make it parental. Probably failed miseriably. You decide.

Blackmoondragon out.


End file.
